Energized base for a cordless electric iron



gums@ Spto @y T138. R RQLLER ENERGIZED BASE FOR A CORDLESS ELECTRIC RON Filed Sept. l5, 1935 Patented Sept. 6, 1938 UNITED STATES My invention relates to a new and useful enercal energy needed for heating the iron is transmitted by direct -contact from the base to the iron, .I5 thus eliminating the electric cord heretofore used in supplying electrical energy to theiron. My present invention is an improvement. upon the construction shownv inv my prior Patent No. 1,966,263 as well as other prior art constructions l heretofore devised for this general purpose. The structural features and advantages of my novel construction will be lmore clearly understood from the following description taken with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of the energized base embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of the base shown in Fig. 1 with a cordless iron positioned thereon in heating position.

Fig. 3 represents, on an enlarged scale.- a vertical section on line 8-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 represents, on an enlarged scale, a transverse section on line 4-f4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 represents, on an enlarged scale, a. section 5 on line 5--5 of Fig. 1. .y

Fig. 6 represents a fragmentary and` diagrammatic back view of the upper portion of the base shown in Fig. 1.

0 'used for effecting electrical contact between the iron and the base. i

Referring to the drawing, in which like reference characters represent like parts, I designates a conventional iron having the base 2, the handle 3 and the prongs 4, and which may, or may not, have the rear yoke 5 on which the iron` may be stood on end, when desired, it being understood that th yoke 5, or other support that may beprovided at the rear end of any make iron, performs I no particular function as far as my invention is' of applying a wired plug to the prongsj of the iron in order to supply the necessary electrical energy I utilize the plug 5 shown in Fig. 'I which, is provided with the contact sockets 9 into which the prongs 4 of the iron are inserted and with the contact .pins I 0 which are adapted to enter .the openings II in the wings' I2 to engage the spring contacts I4 which in turn are .energized by the 'cord I3, the other end of which (not shown) is pluggeddnto an electric outlet in any suitable manner. Thus with the plug 8 shown in Fig. 7 applied to the prongs 4 of the iron and with the pins I0 of the plug 8 engaging the contacts I4, electrical energy .is supplied to the iron.

ENERGIZED BASE Fon A conDLEss ELECTRICl IRON Robert Roller, `Haddoniield, N. J. Application September 13k, 1935, Serial No. 40,374

2 Claims. `(Cl. 2 19-25) gized base foi` a cordless iron whereby the electri- Fig. 7 represents a plan view of lan adapter plug concerned, and may be omitted if desired. In lieu vPATENT OFFICE In order to render the contact wings I2 readily adjustable to electric irons of varying heights, the contact wings I2 are carried by a bracket I5 which is secured to the vertical portion I6 of the base by means of the fastening devices Il passing through the slots I8 in the back I6. In this way the contact wings I2 may be raised and lowered and the width (horizontally speaking) of the openings II aii'ord the necessary adjustment to any variation in the spacing of the contact pins I0 of the plug 8 engaging the prongs 4 at the rear end of the iron. The back support I6 is suitably curved backwardly as at 20 in order to accommodate the supporting yoke 5, or other support thatmay be provided on irons of this character, it being understood that instead of curving the back I6 as at 20, the opening 20X may be enlarged. sufficiently to accommodate the yoke 5 or its equivalent. The entire back support I6 may be made integral with, or may be secured to, the base member 22 as at 23. The base member 22 is provided with the front leg 24 so that lit slants backwards towards the vertical back support I6 and is also provided with the outwardly flaring guide rails 25 which eliminate the necessity of precision in placing the iron in contacting position, as shown in Fig. 2, since they guide the iron and centralize it with respect to the base 22 and the back support I 6. In order to minimize the amount of effort necessary in putting the iron in contacting position, IA provide the base 2, in -addition tothe backward slanting thereof, with rollers, or other antifrictlon devices 28, which are secured to the base by cotter pins, or the like, 28. vWith the rollers 28 and the slanting character of the base 22, an iron placed on the base will `very easily and with hardly any effort roll back into the position shown in Fig. 2 where the prongs IIJ on the plug 8 will engage the spring contacts I4 in the wings I2. The rollers 28 in addition to serving as anti-friction means, also space the iron from the base thus preventing overheating of the latter, by reducing the contact area of the iron and the base, and byproviding an air space therebetween. In order to render the base v`22, adjustable for various sized irons, the

guide rails 25 are adjustably secured to the base 22 by the'bolts 30 passing through the base and through an aperture 3| in the bottom portionsv $2 of the guide rails 25. Iherepeated sliding of polished condition foreifecting maximum efiiciency in the electrical contact established. In this connection I wish to call particular at# tention to the slanting oi. the resilient contacts il with respect to the openings. I I, whereby said contacts are protected against corrosion due to arcing resulting from constant make and break oi' the circuit. Thus the pin I0, when it ilrst enters the opening Il. touches the spring contact It at the point marked A. But, ns the pin In progresses towards the inner (closed) end of the opening il, the resilient contact Il gives and the pin il iinally comes to rest on the part of the contact Il marked B. Thus any corrosion due to arcing, upon breaking or completion of -the circuit, will take place only at A, where the contact is temporary" and not at B where the contact pin i0 comes to rest while the iron is being heated. In this way the life of the contact I4 and pin i0 is greatly prolonged since the arcing at the point A will early produce corrosion which would result in more and more arcing and less and less proper contact, were the heating of the iron as well as the making and breaking of the circuit to take place at one and the same point which is the part marked A, as the then continuous arcing resulting from the corrosion already produced will burn the pin Ill and the contact Il in a very short time. 'I'hus it will be seen that the resiliency and slanting of the contacts Il with respect to the openings il is a very important feature since it is material to the success of my construction in actual practice. In actual operation the iron is Placed on the stand or base in the position shown in Fig. 2 until it has attained the necessary degree of heat, whereupon it is used for ironing and while the piece being ironed is shifted or folded, the iron is put back on the insulated base 2% and the heat lost in the previous operation is replenished in the time felapdng while the piece being ironed is preparedfor further action.

While I have shown the wings i2 provided with horizontally disposed contact slots `il and the plug l to be provided with laterally projecting prongs I0, it is to be understood, that if desired, the prongs il can be made to project longitudinally of the plug 8, and that the contact slots Il can be made to extend vertically instead of horizontally in corresponding fashion.

It will thus be seen that I have devised a novel base construction which receives and energizes the iron practically automatically and with minimum eiort and one which is readily adjustable for irons of diilerent makes and di!- vferent sizes without 1n any way interfering with( the existing construction of the iron. It is Valso to be noted that the adapter plug forms an im portant cooperating part since it materially assists in adapting my novel base for successful operation with all types of irons. While I have shown the novel contact establishing construction, best shown in Fig. 2 as applied to a cordless electric iron, it is to be understood that the same is capable-oil wide application to any number of other devices and that I claim this form of contact construction in all of its possible applications.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In combination, a base, a back support secured` thereto, contact .wings carried by said support and containing contact elements therein, there being slots in said Wings affording access to said contact elements, and an adapter plug having. a body portionconstituting a socket for engaging the contact prongs of an electrical iron and having pins disposed within the vertical planes of said body portion but extending at an angle to the longitudinal axis thereof adapted to pass throughthe slots in said contact wings for wiping engagement with said contact elements.

2. In an energized base for a cordless electric iron, the combination of an adapter plug having sockets for engaging the contact prongs oi lan electric iron and contact prongs disposed at a substantially right angle to butl in the same plane as said sockets, with an inclined base, a plurality of Wheels mounted therein and projecting above the surface of said base, outwardly ilarlng guide Wings adjustably secured to the sides of said base, a back support secured to the rear end oi said base and comprising legs projecting upwardly from said base and having their lower portions recessed away from said base, contact wings adjustably secured to said support and overhanging the rear portion of 'said base, contact elements within said wings accessible only to the prongs of said adapter plug, and means for energizing said contact elements.

ROBERT ROLLER. 

